Gripping device



Nov. 18, 1930. 0. 5. COLLlNS 1,782,030

A GRIPPING' DEVICE Filed Ju 1y 15, 1929 INVENTOR 0.0. COLLINS BY -m ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 18, 1930 ODIE oson COLLINS, on RIVERSIDE, cAL'InoRnIA f GRIPLEING DEVICE i Application filed July 15,-

This' invention relates to gripping devices of the type employed for use in connection with wire stretchers, and for other uses;

An object of the invention isthe provision of animproved gripping device of the general class described, which is provided with means for. facilitating removal of the gripping device from the member gripped.

Another object is the provision =ofimprove ments in gripping devices of the general class described, which do. not add to the cost of production thereof, but. materially increase the efficiency of the device to which my The invention possesses other objects and advantageous features, some of which, with those enumeratech'will be setforth in the.

following description of the inventions particular embodiment which is illustrated in the drawings accompanyingand forming a part of the specification.

Referring to the drawings: Figure l is' a side elevation of a gripping device incorporating the principles of the present invention, with the direction ofviewindicated by the arrow 1 ofFig; 1;

' Fig. 2is-a bottom plan view,.the direction of view being indicated by the arrow 2 of Fig. 1; V i a Fig. 3 is a side elevation with the direction off'view indicated bythe arrow 8 ofFig. 2. Portions of the figure are broken away to bet- I l because the insulation conventionally em- 5 ployed, is relatively softas compared to ter disclose operating parts of the device;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, horizontal sectional view. taken upon the line 4 of Fig.1

Fig. 5 is a highly enlarged vertical sec tional view taken throughthe gripping jaws of the device when in gripping posit on upon a wire, showing the indentation made in the wire by the jaws when firmly engaged there-M V Y siderable forcein their disengagement.- This is ordinarily accomplished byhammering the upon. Portions are broken away toreduce the length of the figure;

This invention constitutes improvements in gripping devices employedfor imposing tension upon such members as wire -either insulated or bare; and more especially const1-' tutes improvements in the wire-clamp forming the subject matter of Patent No. 800,745

issued October 3, 1905, to John M. Klein. This wire clamp and others to which the 'chanical advantage, this clamping movement ofthe jaws being caused by .a force' which;

18: a component force developed fronr the;

actual pull -exerted'against the clampin im i posing tension upon the membergripped by the clamp. In fact, so great is' the gripping 1 action of the j awsiunder' sueh circumstances, that from it arises the inherent disadvantage of such gripping devices, inasmuch as-the extreme pressure exerted by the. jaws upon the wire, causes the jaws to actually form a depression in the wire within which the jaws become seated, and having an abrupt shoulderat each end of the depression,against which the associated ends of the jaws engage. These gripping devices when being released, necessitate at least a slight degree of longitudinalmovement ofonejaw inrespect' to the other i. e., at leastone of the jawsmust' move longitudinally of the member gripped;

- and due to the presence of the shoulder at.

that end of the depressiontoward which-the jaw must move in being released, extreme difiiculty is very frequently encountered in releasing the gripping member fromthe ten-. sioned member; This isespecially true when the'device is employed upon insulated wire,

metallic wire. Howeventhe same condition-- prevails, buti to a lesser extent when bare; vWire is being'stretched," Under certain circumstan'ces of use, so firmly do the jaws become engaged within the recess formed in this manner, that it is necessary to use conand 9, to be coupled at its free end to suitable draftineans such as a clev1s 18, through the The drawings disclose a gripping device operated upon the principles above outlined. It comprises a body portion 6 upon the after end 7 of which a rigid jaw 8 is carried. A

movable jaw 9 is cooperatively opposed to the rigid jaw 8, and is connected to the body portion 6 through the expedient of a rivet 11 or other suitable pin preferably'rigid with a web '12 extending upwards from the movable jaw 9.

The rivet 11 extends slidably through an arcuate slot 13 in the body portion 6, being provided with a head 14 upon the opposite side of the body 6, to prevent displacement thereof.

A lever 16 is pivoted to the after end of the body portion 6,-as by a rivet'17,and'e3;- tends therefrom transversely of the jaws 8 expedient o'f'links 19; suitable pin 21 pivotally unites one end'of'each link 19 to the outer end of the lever 16 and another" pin 22pivotally connects the other end of each link 19 to the clevis 18. The links 19 are disposed angula'rly in respect to the body 6,

2,-and 3, will not only cause the entire gripping device to moverin'the same direction w th equal force, but t will alsocause the lever 16 to be swung about the pivot 1 in a clockwise direction, as viewed upon i The movable aw 9 is'pivotally attached to the lever 16 by meansofa pin 26 carried by the lever 16 and extending through an aperture 27 in the web 12 of the movable jaw 9, In gripping devices heretofore employed, the

v pin 26 while being movable in rotary motion within the aperture 27', fits nicely therein,, eliminating'the possibilityof any fplay between the lever 16 and jaw 9. Furthermore,

the distance between centers of the pins 17 and 26, is equal to theradius of the arc of the slot 13; withthe result that when the.

lever 16 is pivoted about the pin 17, the resultant' movement, of the jaw 9, caused by engagement of the pin 26within the aperture 27, and engagement'of the pin lllwithin the slot 13, is translatorymovement, wherein the jaw 9 remains parallel; to the stationary jaw'8, and moves both longitudinally thereof and either toward or away therefrom, de' pending upon the direction of pivotal movement of the lever 16.

A spring 31 is coiled about a pin 32 extend ing between the two links 19, and has one end 33 bearing against a pin 34 rigid with one of the links 19, and its other end 36 bearing against a shoulder 37 upon'the forward edge of the lever 16. The action of the spring 31 results in the imposition of a slight degree of spring tensionupon the lever 16, in that di-' rection which causes the jaw- 9 to be moved toward the jaw 8, the purpose being to impose at least aslight degree of compression upon the wire 38 or other member to be tensioned, before any pull is exerted upon the clevis18, and thus avoid slippage of the device in respect to the wire 38 when tension is initially exerted upon the clevis.

.The device thus far described, constitutes a well known type of wire clamp. Its operation depends upon the longitudinal and clamping movement of one jaw 9 in respect to the other when the lever 16'is pivoted forwards, by imposing tension upon the links 19 from the clevis. It is obvious that when a wire 38 is engaged between the jaws 8 and 9,

and then the clevis 18'pulled forward, the

lever 16 will be pivoted forward, carrying the jaw 9 forward in arcuate movement, wherein it-moves both longitudinally in respect to the wire, and toward the jaw 8. This movement of the jaw9 will continue until it presses: against the wire 38 firmly enough to overcome the extremely great mechanical advantage developed through thelever 1:6, and which results 1na clamping force several times greater than the force exerted agalns the clevis 18. As a result of this very heavy clamping force, the jawsi8 and 9 have the tendency to become actually embedded with-' in thewire 38, as indicated upon Fig. 5.

Thus a. portion 41 offreduced diameter, is formed in the wire 38, this portion 41 corresponding in length to the aws 8 and 9,'and

' terminating in shoulders 42 and Therefore, when it is desired to remove theclamp from the wire 38, tension upon the clevis 18 having first'beenremoved, difliculty is ,fr'equently encountered because of the presence of the shoulder 43 against which the asso I ciated end of the movable jaw 9 engages. Separation of the jaws iselfected by reverse movement of the lever 16, which causes translatory movement'of the jaw'9 in anarc :in

which the jaw 9 again moves longitudinally of'the wire 38, but away from the fixed jaw 8;

The presence of the shoulder 43obviously makes the initial longitudinal movement of p the aw very difficult, inasmuch as the actual metal must be sheared if a bare wire is gripped, or the insulation must be cut away by the-leading edge of the sulated wire is gripped. I a

The present invention contemplates improving the'device hereinabove described,

with especial reference to the means of inter-f connecting the lever 16 to the web 12 of' the movable jaw 9. My invention comprises enlarging the aperture 27 preferably in a direc-' tion measured substantially longitudinally of jaw 9 if an inv V is commenced.

' the jaws. In the present form of the device 1 axis of the aperture 46, which is disposed substantially perpendicular to this width, is materially greater than the diameter of the pin 26.

, As a result of my improvement, initial'releasing movement of the lever 16, will cause the after end of the movable jaw 9 i. e.', that end of the jaw 9 remote from the clevis 18, to be forced directly away from the jaw 8 and wire 38, because ofthe engagement of the pin 26 against the upper edge of the aperture 27. flI-Iowever, longitudinal movement of the jaw 9 is not caused by the initial movement of the lever 16, inasmuch as the pin 26 must moveto the after edge of the elongated aperture 27, before such longitudinal movement of the 9 commences. Obviously, by this time, the shoulderof the jaw 9, will have been removed'from the shoulder 43 which it has formed within the wire 38; with the result that continued releasing movement of the lever 16 may be efiected without difiiculty, be-

cause of the removal of the jaw 9 from that position in which it encounters the shoulder 43 before longitudinal movement of the aw It is to be understood that the details of the invention as herein disclosed, are subject to alteration within the spiritor scope of the appended claims. 1 I r I claim: Y

1. In a gripping device, a pair of jaws fmovable relatively to each other,actuating means associatedwith said jaws, and means operable by said actuating means for initially moving one ofsaid jaws perpendicularly and subsequently in arcuate' motion away fro the other jaw. V y 1 2. In a gripping device, a pair of jaws movable relativelyof each other, actuating means associated with said jaws, and means operable by said actuating means for initially drawing one end ofone'jaw perpendicularly away from the other jaw and subsequently moving the entire first mentioned jaw obliquely away from said other jaw.

3. In a gripping device, a pair of jaws mounted for adjustment relatively of each other, a lever extending transversely of said jaws, a pin pivotally oining each jaw to said lever, each pin being disposed within an aperture in said lever and in another aperture in the associated jaw, the pin associated with one of said aws being materially smaller than one of the apertures within which it is seated. I

' 4. A gripping device comprising a body portion, a rigid jaw and an opposed movable jaw carried thereby, a lever extending transversely of said jaws and pivoted to said body portion, a pivot pin carried by "said lever beyond theIj'aws fromiits point of attachment to the body portion, said pin seating within; an aperture within the movable jaw larger than the plin,jand draft means coupledto said lever beyond said-pin.

- 50A gripping device comprising a body j port on, ELTlglCljEtW and anopposed movable a jaw carried thereby, a lever extending'transversely of said jaws and pivoted to said body portion, a pivot pin carried byv said lever beyond thejaws from its-point of attachsaid aperture'fitting the pin in respect'to width measured in a dlleCtlOI]. transverse to 'the'jaws andbeing-elongated in a direction perpendicular to said width, and draft means coupled to said lever beyond said pin.

jaw carried thereby, a lever extending transment to thebodyportion, said pin seating within anaperture-within the movablejaw,-

versel-y of said jaws and pivoted tosaid body portion a p1votpin carried by said lever beyond the jaws'from 'its point of attach ,ment to the :bodyportion, saidpin seating within an aperture within the movable'jaw,"

said?.ap erturef'beingelongated to a greater length than the diameter of the pin, the

major axis of the aperture extending substantially parallel to'the ,jaws, anddraft means coupled to said lever beyond saidpin. 1 7. Ina gripping device, a pair of jaws mounted for adjustment relatively of each other, a lever extending transversely of said jaws, a pin pivotally joining each jaw to said lever, each pin being disposed within an aperture in said lever and in another aperture in the associated jaw, said lever being disposed angularly with respect to the gripping faces of s'aid jaws when in gripplng position, and the pin associated with one of said jaws being materially smaller than one of the apertures within which it is seated.

8. A gripping device comprising a body portion, a rigid jaw and an opposed movable v jaw carried thereby, a lever extending transverselyof said jaws and pivoted to said body portion, a pivot pin carried by said lever beyond the jaws from its point of attachment to the body portion, saidpinv seating within an aperture within the movable jaw, said aperture fitting-the pin in respect'to width measured in a direction transverse to the jaws and being, elongated in a direction perpendicular to saidwidth, means limiting the motion of said movable jaw in respect to the fixed jaw substantially to translatory motion, and draft means coupled to said lever beyond said pin. H r

9. A gripping device comprising a body portion, .a rigid j aw. and an opposed movable jaw carried thereby, a lever extending transversely ofsaid jaws and pivoted to said body portion, a pivot pin carried by said lever beyond the jaws from its point of attachment to the body portion, said pin seating within anfaperture Within the movable jaw, said aperture being elongatedto a greater, length than the diameter of the pin, the

major axis ofthe aperture extending substantially parallel to the jaws, means limiting the motion of said movable jaw in respect tothe fixed jaw substantially to translatory' my motion, and draft means coupled to said lever beyond said pin.- 1

10. In a gripping device, a pair of jaws mounted for' adjustmentrelatively of each other,'a lever extending transversely of said jaws, a pin pivotally joining each jaw to said lever, each pin beingdisposed Within an aperture in said lever and in another aperture in the associated jaw, said lever being disposed singularly with r'espectto the gripping faces of said jaws when in grlpping position, and

' one of said apertures being materially relieved in a direction parallel to said gripping faces whereby initial retracting movement of said lever occurs Without causing longitudinal movement of the associated jaw.

In-testimony whereof I have signed my name to thisspecification.

ODIE osoir ooLmNs, 

